Wednesday, March 19, 2008

State of the schools

At last night's board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Bob Taylor gave his "State of the Corporation" talk, covering everything from enrollment numbers to programs under consideration. It's a good idea for any large organization to take stock once a year or so, and this kind of overview is probably helpful for Dr. Taylor himself, as well as the board and the larger community.

Dr. Taylor said they plan to make the Power Point presentation he used available on the corporation Web site, and I'll provide a link when they put it up there. But for now, here are a few highlights:
  • No plans for a new high school. LHS is 50 years old this year, and there have been 4 renovations/additions during that time. Enrollment isn't growing fast enough to warrant plans for a new high school, but some crucial aging infrastructure at LHS will probably need to be addressed. Taylor mentioned plumbing, electrical, and technology needs. (I think I've heard discussion of the HVAC system as well.) There are studies underway to see what's needed and what it will cost.
  • Two ISTEP tests next year. As the state moves to spring ISTEP testing, it will require two tests in the 2008-09 school year, one in fall and one in spring.
  • Program audits. Taylor is having several components of the LCSC curriculum evaluated for their effectiveness. Last year the literacy program was audited, an audit of the programs for high ability students is underway right now, and next fall they will audit the math programs across the district. A tentative audit of special education programs is set for 2010.

There's plenty more, but it would make for a too-long post. Drop me an e-mail if you have questions or comments, and I'll post a link to the Power Point presentation once it's made available.

Addendum: Here's a link to the presentation Dr. Taylor gave at the school board meeting. Click on the hyperlink under "State of the Corporation: http://www.leb.k12.in.us/community.asp

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Excellence ... Leadership ... Stewardship

Summing up a campaign in three words is difficult--especially for someone like me, who tends to use too many words rather than too few. But these are the three I have settled on, and here's why.

"Excellence" is about setting a high standard for everyone affiliated with the Lebanon schools. We need a school culture that encourages and rewards excellence from all students, all teachers, all administrators, all staff, in the classrooms, in athletics and in the arts. We can't measure every student using the same yardstick, but we can work toward having every student achieve to the very best of her or his ability. "Good enough" isn't the standard any of us wants to see in our workplaces, our government, or even our sports teams! Striving for excellence means refusing to settle for "good enough" schools. As a school board member, I'll do my best to fill that role with excellence as well.

"Leadership" means being part of a board that takes responsibility for the policy decisions of the LCSC. With an annual budget of $32 million and 450 employees, the school corporation has a huge impact on our community. As a school board member, being a leader means studying the impact of different forces on our schools (government initiatives, budget issues, educational programs, demographics) and carefully coming to decisions about how the school corporation can best respond. Leadership also means letting school personnel do their jobs. The board is a policy-making body, and board members must not micromanage the administrators and teachers in the district.

"Stewardship" may seem like an unlikely word to choose. I think of stewardship as our fundamental responsibility to leave the world a better place than we found it. As a board member, this means being a responsible, creative, prudent caretaker of our children, our personnel, our facilities and our budget. A good steward takes care of the present and plans for the future.

Thanks for reading. Please drop me an e-mail with any questions, comments, or suggestions. And don't forget to vote on May 6!